Friday, October 07, 2005

A VISION of an Islamic society that bans mixed dancing and sternly disapproves of homosexuality has been given by Mahmoud Zahar, the most senior leader of Hamas in Gaza.After controversies when a Hamas-led council halted a dance festival and Islamist gunmen stopped a rap band performing in Gaza, Dr Zahar defended the enforcement of a strict interpretation of Islam.

“A man holds a woman by the hand and dances with her in front of everyone. Does that serve the national interest?” Dr Zahar said on the Arabic website Elaph. “If so, why have the phenomena of corruption and prostitution become pervasive in recent years?”Because of successes by Hamas in municipal polls and its likely strong showing in January’s parliamentary elections, secular Palestinians fear that it will try to impose its ultraconservative vision on them. Its Gaza heartland has no cinemas or bars, yet the West Bank has a brewery and Ramallah restaurants serve wine.

Dr Zahar condemned homosexual marriage, saying: “Are these the laws for which the Palestinian street is waiting? For us to give rights to homosexuals and to lesbians, a minority of perverts and the mentally and morally sick?”He denied that Hamas wanted a puritancial regime, and said its political and social institutions included women.

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Don't they know that this will never work? There will be a charismatic outsider from the big city and get all the kids riled up and show them the no dancing rule is silly. This outsider will also teach the biggest goofiest kid in town to dance really well and these sessions of teaching him to dance will be shown in a montage. The outsider will also show all the kids in town that he is tough but not bailing out when he is challenged to a game of chicken on tractors. Then the outside will go to a barn outside of town so he can just dance, dance, dance!